


Birthday

by TobiBooneTheSmallSpoone



Series: Nice Rhack You Got There [6]
Category: Borderlands (Video Games), Tales from the Borderlands (video game)
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-04-04 07:14:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14015022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TobiBooneTheSmallSpoone/pseuds/TobiBooneTheSmallSpoone
Summary: Jack forgets something important





	Birthday

Rhys stumbled into the kitchen and yawned, looking around nonplussed as his eyes fell on Handsome Jack drinking coffee and reading a newspaper,

“Morning.”

“Mornin', cupcake.” Jack mumbled over the rim of his mug.

Rhys grabbed a carton of milk and leaned against the counter, “Look, can we skip the rom-com cliché?”

Jack blinked and set the paper down, “I'm sorry?”

“Everyone knows about the whole 'oh you forgot what day it is' bullshit and then you pop up with flowers and balloons and stuff like that just when I start to think that you forgot for real. It's over-done and I would really just like today to be like any other day, alright?” Rhy shrugged.

Jack nodded, “Oh, alright, Rhysie, if that's what you want.”

“Good, I'm gonna go shower for work.” Rhys put the milk back and yawned again, “I'm gonna be late at work, okay? You left a shit-ton of stuff unfinished that I have to fix.”

“Fuck, sorry, babes, hope I'm not working you too hard.” Jack chuckled and went back to his paper until Rhys vanished into the bathroom then he fumbled with his commlink, “Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!”

“Vaughn here.”

“Hey, pointdexter, Jack here.” Jack muttered, glancing at the bathroom nervously.

“ . . . Jack? What do you want?” Vaughn seemed way too surprised to hear from Jack.

“Uh, hey, so if today was by any stretch of the imagination supposed to have some significance to say . . . Rhys, what would it be for?”

There was such a long pause that Jack checked to make sure that he hadn't lost connection,

“Are fucking serious right now?”

“Kinda yeah.” Jack furrowed his brow.

“ . . . it's Rhys's birthday . . . jackass.”

Jack blinked, his shoulders slumped and he bit his lip, “Okay, I'm gonna let you have that _one_ insult because you're Rhys's friend but I need your help, I-”

“No, Jack.”

“Beg pardon?” Jack stood up slowly, feeling his temper flaring.

“No. You fucked up, big time, you forgot Rhys's birthday and now you need to fix it without my help and you know why?”

“I have a feeling you're going to tell me anyway.” Jack muttered, reminding himself that if he killed Vaughn, Rhys would be upset with him probably for forever.

“Because I remembered and I got him a gift and I have a cake waiting at his desk for him, that's why. I didn't forget my best friend's birthday and you, as the guy he's currently sleeping with, do not get to have an excuse. Have fun.”

“No, wait, I-”

**click**

Jack blinked and sat back down just as the water turned off and Rhys stepped out in just a towel with his hair dripping,

“Uh, hey, Rhys?”

Rhys leaned in the doorway on his way to their bedroom, “Yeah?”

“So . . . “ Jack thought briefly of fessing up and coming clean but his pride wouldn't let him, he smiled and shrugged, “Have a good day at work.”

Rhys snorted, “I work for you, Jack, you dictate whether I have a good day or not.”

“Well maybe I decided you get to have a good day.” Jack went back to his paper.

Rhys shook his head and headed back to the bedroom, “Okay then.”

Jack waited until Rhys said his goodbyes before leaping into action which required more coffee and a lot of pacing.

* * *

“Happy birthday, bro!” Vaughn smiled and pushed the wrapped present into Rhys's hands.

“Hey! Thanks, Vaughn!” Rhys sat at his desk, noting the cake waiting for them off to one side.

“Go on, open it!” Vaughn sat on the edge of the desk, “I'll cut the cake.”

Rhys chuckled and pulled the paper off and grinned widely, “Is this what I think it is?”

“Yep,” Vaughn glanced at the port-stick in the box, “Full visual library of _Skag-Thing_.”

“Oh wow, thanks pal!” Rhys reached over and hugged Vaughn before taking a piece of cake.

Vaughn cut himself a piece and sat back on the desk, “So . . . did Jack give you anything?”

Rhys blinked then shook his head, “He was going to try that 'oh no I forgot' bs where he pretends he didn't realize what day it was then surprises me later. I really hate that concept so I told him to just drop the act and we can have a normal day.”

Vaughn bit his lip and shifted, “Um, what if he _did_ forget your birthday?”

Rhys snorted and snagged another piece of cake, “He wouldn't do that.”

“But, what if he did?” Vaughn set his empty plate down.

Rhys shook his head and shoved some cake into his mouth, “Oh, c'mon, Vaughn, he's an egotistical asshole but he's not heartless.”

“I didn't say he was 'heartless', just that he's forgetful of anyone other than himself.” Vaughn muttered.

Rhys narrowed his eyes, “Real nice, bro, I know you and Jack don't exactly jive all the time but that's not fair. He loves me, he wouldn't forget my birthday.”

“Okay.” Vaughn sighed, glancing at the last piece of cake, “You want that?”

“I was going to bring it to Jack, he loves cake.” Rhys shrugged.

“Alright, well, I should get back to work,” Vaughn hopped down from the desk and stretched, “Have a good birthday, alright?”

“Sure thing, bro, thanks for the cake!” Rhys smiled and went to his computer.

* * *

Rhys stepped into Jack's office and was surprised to find the CEO wasn't there, shrugging he headed to the elevator and went up to the penthouse and was slightly upset when the doors opened and the apartment wasn't full of balloons or streamers or anything . . . he'd half expected Jack to go ahead with the 'oh I forgot' line despite what Rhys told him.

Rhys set the cake on the counter and stared at it for a second before slowly turning around, “Jack?”

There was a shuffling sound from the front room and Rhys followed it, Jack was sitting on the couch staring at the floor, Rhys leaned on the doorway and stared at the masked man,

“Jack?”

“I, uh, I gotta come clean, Rhys,” He slowly stood up and rubbed the back of his neck, “I . . . I sort of forgot your birthday.”

Rhys blinked, “ . . . you did?”

“Yeah . . . I did.” Jack mumbled, looking off to the side.

Rhys's lip jutted out and he shifted his weight, “Oh . . . “

Jack sat back down and sighed heavily, “I thought I would just hurry up and do what you expected but . . . I dunno, the more I thought about it, the more obvious it would be that I forgot and I couldn't do it.”

Rhys shook his head and said in a curt voice, “I left you some cake. I'm gonna shower and go to bed, long day.”

“You showered this mor-”

Jack jumped slightly when the bathroom door snapped shut and he heard the water turn on, he sighed heavily and stood up, going to the kitchen and stood staring down at the cake for longer than probably necessary then he went to the bathroom and knocked,

“Rhys?”

“Go away, Jack.”

“Okay.” Jack couldn't remember the last time he just laid down and rolled over for someone before, but he felt bad enough about this whole thing that he decided to not be the imposing dick that he knew he was and went up to their room.

Several minutes went by, hinting that Rhys was just filling time by staying in the shower far longer than he normally did. Jack sat on the bed and stared at his hands then he heard the water cut out and a moment or two later Rhys came out in a fresh towel, his brunette hair hanging around his head in wet tendrils and he stalked past Jack and pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt. Jack watched all this and cleared his throat,

“You're . . . _actually_ mad at me.”

Rhys huffed and started to dry off and get dressed, “Yeah, I am.”

“I'm sorry.”

“I'll bet,” Rhys snapped, “It doesn't mean I'm gonna just stop being upset and hurt and feeling like I'm not important enough for you to put a fucking reminder in your tablet or something!”

Jack grimaced, “I-I did!”

“Then why did you forget?” Rhys shouted, turning around.

“It was the wrong day!” Jack said quickly, standing up.

“ . . . you serious?” Rhys glared at Jack.

“Yes! I checked my reminders and I had it set for next week . . . “ Jack shuffled and sighed, “I had this whole thing planned for you, I swear. So color me surprised when you come downstairs talking about your birthday _today_. I'm sorry I fucked up, I should have double-checked the date and made sure I didn't fuck up, but I didn't and now I don't have any more excuses.”

Rhys frowned and sighed, “I believe you . . . “

Jack sat down again, “You can still be mad at me if you want, I deserve that, really. I just want you to know that you are important to me and I wouldn't intentionally forget your birthday.”

Rhys sat next to Jack and pulled the shirt over his head, tugging the way too long sleeves up a bit, “Okay, I think I'm done being mad.”

Jack cleared his throat and glanced at Rhys, “I . . . I even called Vaughn for help.”

“That would explain why he kept hinting at shit.” Rhys flopped back onto the bed.

Jack stretched out next to Rhys, “He talked shit?”

“More or less, he still isn't quite okay with us being us.” Rhys shrugged, “He's a great friend, really, he just gets weirdly protective. I think he doesn't think I'm mature enough to handle dating and stuff.”

“Well, you are kind of ditzy at times, cupcake.”

“I am not!” Rhys pouted.

“Sure you aren't.” Jack chuckled and rolled onto his side, wrapping his long arms and legs around Rhys, “Happy birthday, Rhysie.”

Rhys settled into Jack's chest, “Thanks, jackass.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> . . . I hate the 'partner pretends to forget birthday/anniversary/valentine's day then when other partner gets home the house is full of balloons and bullshit' cliche. I hate it with a passion because it is stupid and overdone.


End file.
